Both teams made it past German opposition in the quarter-finals to reach this stage. Now, the winners of the last two Champions League titles will go head-to-head for a spot in the final, where either Chelsea or Fluminense await.
PSG have been flawless since their early setback against Botafogo in the group stage. They've won all three matches since then, including their biggest test so far, a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday. Even after being reduced to nine men late in the game, Luis Enrique’s side managed to score a second goal and keep a third consecutive clean sheet.
Their tournament began against a team from Madrid, and ahead of this clash with Real, PSG will be hoping to repeat the kind of performance they delivered against Atletico on matchday one, when they thrashed Diego Simeone’s side 4-0.
The French champions have made a habit of big wins this season. Their 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final is just one example. Across all competitions, they’ve now racked up an incredible 164 goals. Manager Luis Enrique, who lifted the Club World Cup with Barcelona in 2015, now has a strong chance to repeat that feat with PSG, exactly ten years later.
But Real Madrid won’t be easy to beat. They’ve haunted PSG in the past, particularly in 2022 when they came back from 2-0 down on aggregate to eliminate them in the Champions League last 16. There’s been a major change at the club since then, with Xabi Alonso replacing Carlo Ancelotti, but results have remained strong. Real are still unbeaten in the tournament.
Their only minor setback came in the group stage with a draw against Al Hilal. Since then, they’ve won four straight, including victories over Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg to top their group. That placed them on the tougher side of the bracket, but they still managed to get past Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.
Their quarter-final against Dortmund almost slipped away in dramatic fashion. Real were cruising with a 2-0 lead going into injury time, and when Kylian Mbappé’s overhead kick quickly canceled out Maximilian Beier’s goal, it looked like game over. But then Dean Huijsen was sent off for a foul in the box, allowing Serhou Guirassy to score from the spot. Moments later, Marcel Sabitzer nearly forced extra time, only to be denied by a stunning save from Thibaut Courtois deep into stoppage time.
That scare showed that Real Madrid can be vulnerable, and now they’ll face an even tougher test against the reigning European champions.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
After both being sent off late in the win over Bayern, PSG will be without Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez for the semi-final. That opens the door for Lucas Beraldo to step into the center of defense.Ousmane Dembélé is the only other regular starter who might miss out. He’s made two appearances off the bench in the knockout rounds after recovering from a minor injury, but his place in the starting lineup remains uncertain.
Achraf Hakimi is a player to keep an eye on. The former Real Madrid full-back has been in great form, either scoring or assisting in each of his last three Club World Cup matches. He added an assist against Bayern, building on goals in the two previous games.
Real Madrid will also be missing a key defender. New signing Dean Huijsen is suspended after being sent off late in the quarter-final against Dortmund.
That likely means Raul Asencio will make his first start since he was sent off just 10 minutes into the match against Pachuca in the group stage. Eder Militao is back from an ACL injury but may not be ready to start.
Xabi Alonso’s bench was packed with attacking options during the Dortmund game, including Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo, and Brahim Diaz. But the spotlight is firmly on breakout star Gonzalo Garcia, who has already scored four goals in the tournament.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz; Barcola, Doue, Kvaratskhelia
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Asencio, F Garcia; Tchouameni, Bellingham, Valverde; Guler, G Garcia, Vinicius Junior
EXPERT PREDICTION
PSG 2-3 Real Madrid
Neither side is particularly known for keeping clean sheets, so we can likely expect goals. But PSG’s cohesion and familiarity with each other could give them the edge against a Real Madrid side that’s still finding its rhythm with several new faces in the squad.
